1. Field of the Invention
In general, the invention relates to mounting mechanisms for cameras and video equipment, and more particularly, to mechanisms allowing for the quick attachment and release of cameras and video equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
As cameras have transitioned from film to digital, and as digital technology has improved, cameras have become smaller and lighter, as well as more robust. Their increased portability and robustness has led many people to take cameras where they might not have gone, or have been able to go, in the past.
Most cameras have a standard receptacle for attaching to a tripod, typically with ¼-20 or ⅜-16 UNC threads. A thumbscrew mounted to the tripod is threaded into the receptacle to secure the camera to the tripod.
While the typical thumbscrew-and-receptacle arrangement is almost universally used, it takes time and a measure of dexterity to secure the thumbscrew in the receptacle. Neither quality is always available. Additionally, while the typical arrangement may be effective in securing a camera to a traditional tripod, it often cannot be used to secure a camera to the full range of objects and surfaces where a user might wish a camera to be.
As cameras have become smaller, lighter, and more robust, a number of manufacturers have made cameras and mounts that are intended for “active” settings and outdoor applications. Among these, GoPro, Inc. (San Mateo, Calif., United States) is one of the more well-known manufacturers. GoPro, Inc. makes a camera mount with a quick release, in which one part is attached to the camera by means of a more traditional attachment mechanism, another part is attached to the surface or object to which the camera is to be mounted, and the two parts are quickly and easily attached and detached to complete the mounting of the camera. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0105589 to Samuels describes this basic mechanism in the context of a vibration damper, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,857,775 to Clearman et al. illustrates the use of a very similar mechanism in a camera mount that mounts a camera to an object atop a flexible shaft. While this mechanism does provide for quick engagement and disengagement, the mechanism is not necessarily shielded and thus, accidental contact may release the camera. Additionally, it can be hard to grip the portions of the mechanism that must be pressed inwardly in order to release the camera.